Suspended sentence over giving false information to Kilkenny gardaí

A man who gave false information to gardaí and said that he had been kidnapped and assaulted was handed down an eight month prison sentence.

Jake Sheeran, Bull Alley Lane, Buttevant, Mallow, Co Cork was convicted of the offence which took place at Kilkenny Garda Station on August 3, 2022. The court heard that on that date the defendant presented himself at Kilkenny Garda Station and made a statement that he had been bundled into a car by three men and driven to Dublin where he said he was assaulted and that his money and phone were taken. The defendant said that he got back from Dublin by bus and that the driver of the bus was ‘sympathetic’ to him.

Following the defendant’s statement, a full garda investigation took place and it was confirmed that the man had travelled to Dublin and back with a friend who also made a statement. The defendant, who has 45 previous convictions, subsequently made admissions of making a false statement. The defendant is currently serving a sentence.

Solicitor Chris Hogan said that his client has a ‘serious difficulty with drugs’.

“At this time he was back staying at his parents who thought he was clean. On the day in question he was going to Dublin to buy drugs and was robbed and he made up an elaborate story that he had been kidnapped because he did not want them to know that he had travelled up to Dublin out of his own free will. He made admissions and explained that the reason why was that he did not want to get into trouble with his parents.”

Judge Geraldine Carthy remarked that the defendant’s actions were ‘utterly inexcusable’.